3.2.4 The Left Unitor

The left unitor of the coproduct of sets is the natural isomorphism

whose component

\[ \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}_{X} \colon \text{Ø}\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}X \overset {\scriptstyle \mathord {\sim }}{\dashrightarrow }X \]

at $X$ is given by

\[ \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}_{X}\webleft (\webleft (1,x\webright )\webright )\mathrel {\smash {\overset {\mathclap {\scriptscriptstyle \text{def}}}=}}x \]

for each $\webleft (1,x\webright )\in \text{Ø}\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}X$.

Unwinding the Definition of $\text{Ø}\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}X$
Firstly, we unwind the expressions for $\text{Ø}\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}X$. We have

\begin{align*} \text{Ø}\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}X & \mathrel {\smash {\overset {\mathclap {\scriptscriptstyle \text{def}}}=}}\webleft\{ \webleft (0,z\webright )\in S\ \middle |\ z\in \text{Ø}\webright\} \cup \webleft\{ \webleft (1,x\webright )\in S\ \middle |\ x\in X\webright\} \\ & = \text{Ø}\cup \webleft\{ \webleft (1,x\webright )\in S\ \middle |\ x\in X\webright\} \\ & = \webleft\{ \webleft (1,x\webright )\in S\ \middle |\ x\in X\webright\} ,\end{align*}

where $S=\webleft\{ 0,1\webright\} \times \webleft (\text{Ø}\cup X\webright )$.

Invertibility
The inverse of $\lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}_{X}$ is the map

\[ \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }},-1}_{X}\colon X\to \text{Ø}\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}X \]

given by

\[ \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }},-1}_{X}\webleft (x\webright )\mathrel {\smash {\overset {\mathclap {\scriptscriptstyle \text{def}}}=}}\webleft (1,x\webright ) \]

for each $x\in X$. Indeed:

  • Invertibility I. We have

    \begin{align*} \webleft [\lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }},-1}_{X}\circ \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}_{X}\webright ]\webleft (1,x\webright ) & = \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }},-1}_{X}\webleft (\lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}_{X}\webleft (1,x\webright )\webright )\\ & = \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }},-1}_{X}\webleft (x\webright )\\ & = \webleft (1,x\webright )\\ & = \webleft [\text{id}_{\text{Ø}\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}X}\webright ]\webleft (1,x\webright ) \end{align*}

    for each $\webleft (1,x\webright )\in \text{Ø}\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}X$, and therefore we have

    \[ \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }},-1}_{X}\circ \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}_{X}=\text{id}_{\text{Ø}\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}X}. \]

  • Invertibility II. We have

    \begin{align*} \webleft [\lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}_{X}\circ \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }},-1}_{X}\webright ]\webleft (x\webright ) & = \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}_{X}\webleft (\lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }},-1}_{X}\webleft (x\webright )\webright )\\ & = \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }},-1}_{X}\webleft (1,x\webright )\\ & = x\\ & = \webleft [\text{id}_{X}\webright ]\webleft (x\webright ) \end{align*}

    for each $x\in X$, and therefore we have

    \[ \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}_{X}\circ \lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }},-1}_{X}=\text{id}_{X}. \]

Therefore $\lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}_{X}$ is indeed an isomorphism.

Naturality
We need to show that, given a function $f\colon X\to Y$, the diagram

commutes. Indeed, this diagram acts on elements as

and hence indeed commutes. Therefore $\lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}$ is a natural transformation.

Being a Natural Isomorphism
Since $\lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}$ is natural and $\lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},-1}$ is a componentwise inverse to $\lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}$, it follows from Chapter 9: Categories, Item 2 of Proposition 9.9.7.1.2 that $\lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},-1}$ is also natural. Thus $\lambda ^{\mathsf{Sets},\mathchoice {\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}{\mathbin {\scriptscriptstyle \textstyle \coprod }}}$ is a natural isomorphism.


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